Tray



L. FARKAS Feb. 20, 1945.

TRAY

Filed Jan. 6, 1944 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. zorl'airze Fi /"20$ A T TOR/V5 Y i PatentedFebJZOl1945 1 I Titer I, r,

LorraineFar kas, New Yon-1i, m1; Application ne 6,-1944, ,Serial N shua;

' V g aoieims. invention relatesrto new a tr a y v I More .sneci fically,;jthei invention proposes the ,"ccnstruction ofa. tray arfa'ngiedin a. manner to permit its, carrying. capacity to be. increased by the extension of trayler'id members from a central member in a manner to inorease the size of the tray m permita g'reater number of articles toheplaeed thereon.

- Still further it is pt poa athnaaaizethe V centrallmemb by' a base wall and a pairof side" walls extending upwards front] the base wall and which have the tray endmemhers'slidably' mounted thereon between-the side walls-land ihgjthe tray end members to the-upwardly extending sidewalls Vina manner. to limit the extension or thetray end members. 1 e 1 Still anotherobject. of :the invention proposes ,mounting a, tray extension plate vertically slidmember; ior urging the tra extension plate-into a raised position between the adjacent ends' of.

the tray' llcl Iiimbi's in their completely extended positional a ,mannerfl to retainthe tray which are providedfwith a means fOlfiGOnnfiCt-r enema-apnea. in position and to prevent the tray end members j'f rom, moving. inwards, when artimesare in position upo the tray.) I Still another ohject'of' theinvention'proposes the provision of handles mounted pon th tray end rne mbers and which are Iconnect'edwith Qthe tray extensionplate in-a manner so that the hamdles'may he pivoted, urgingthe tray extension plate downwardsjso thatthe' tray end members may be moved into alcollapsed position relative to the central'member 1 h For further co-znpr hensionof, the invention, and eithe objects, and E dvantages thereof, reference will he had to "the following description andaccompanying drawings; and to the append ed claims'in which the various novel features of the invention aremore particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure' Fig. l. is a perspective view of the tray con structed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig; 1 but illustrating I the tray end members extended;

- Fig; 3 is'ransenla'arged verticalssectional view takendntheline lie-{i oi Figtl. it Fig .4 an; enlarged :vertiea'l. sectional view taken on the line 4-14 of -Fig; 2. I Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional View, t'akenon the line fi-e-iof Fig. 4. I

Fig." 6' is-a. plan viewrofe-a tray constructed in accordance: witha modificationoi this: invention. Fig. '7 is a vlongitudinal vertical sectional view 10 takenzon the-linea1,-l'of1"ig;-6. The tray according; to this. invention, includes a centralnmember w Whichhas, a base wall; it and upwardly extending" side walls t2 which continue flronithebasewall'th 1. Tray end members' w are slidablymounted upon? the base wall-sand between the side walls 12; Each of. the trawenclmembers I3- is alike in construction and each is providedat its outer end withan'integrally tormed' handle l4. Means is provided between theatray end'mem beret-3 and the upwardlyextending'side walls l2 of the' c'entral member w for limitin the extens-ionof' the end tray members =t3-with relation to the central member w. Thi means comprises pins t5; mounted upon theendtray members l3 and which engage into elongated slots' t6 formed in the inside-faces of the upwardly extending side member Ill; 'The 'tray extension plate I! is provided 'f'orthe 'purpose of movingvertically upwards between the inner edges of l the tray end members 13 when theyjare completely extended relative to the-"central member HF. Leaf springs I it have one oft'heii' ends attached to the base 0' wall H by meansof pins 19, 'The free ends-of the leaf springs l8 extend upwards and engage the bottom face oi the tray extension plate l1.

The leaf "springs lflcomprise resilient means for urging the tray extendin plate: I! into its raised position, a

'- The side walls" l2 of the central member ID are formedwitli'shoulders zo againstwhich the edges of the" tray extension plate" are adapted to strike to limit the upward movement of the tray extension plate I! to a position in which the end. tray mernbers '13 relative to 'thecentral the tray extension plate I! in an inoperative position beneath the tray end members I3. If it is found that the carrying capacity of the tray is too small for the particular job at hand, the tray end members l3 may be pulled into a completely extended positio relative to the central member l and until the pins I5 strike the ends of the slots l5. In a completely extended position of the end tray members I3, the leaf springs l8 will immediately urge the tray extension plate I 1 into a'raised position between the adjacent ends of the tray end members I3. This will materially increase the carrying capacity of the tray as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

To again collapse the tray, it is merely necessary to rest it upon a solid surface and press downwards upon the tray extension plate I! while urging the tray end members [3 laterally precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A tray comprising a central member having a base Wall and a pair of side walls extending upwards of said base wall, tray end members slidably mounted above said base wall and between said side walls, means for limiting sliding of said tray end members to extend from the ends of said central member, a tray extension inwards into a, collapsed position relative to the central member ID. It will be noted that the tray extension plate I! in addition to providing the flush surface on the tray when extended, serves to maintain the tray end members against moving inward while articles are in position upon the tray.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6

and 7, it will be noted that the tray extension plate I! is formed of support sections l1, one for each tray end member I3. The provision of the support tray extension plates Il' permits either one or the other of the end tray members l3 to be extended independently of the other permitting its respective tray extension plates II to move into a raised position to provided a flush surface upon the tray; Means is also provided in this form of the invention' for automatically moving the tray extension plates [1 into a depressed condition when it is desired to movethe tray end members 13 into their collapsed position. In this form of the invention, the handles l4 provided upon the tray end members l3 are pivotally supported by means of pins under lugs 3| formed on the ends of the end tray members 13. Rods 32 extend from the pivotally supported handles M and pass slidably through eye members 33 mounted upon the bottom of the tray extension plates l1. 'With the tray end members l3 in their completely extended position as shown on the right hand side of Figs. 6 and 7, it is merely necessary to pivot the handles 14' to cause the rods 32 to be moved to urge the tray extension plates l1" downwards against the action of the springs which maintain them in a raised position. The tray extension members H are urged into a normal raised position by means ,of coil springs I8.

'Ihis,tray may be made of any suitable size. shape and material, such as metal, plastics, etc. It,may be used as a carrying tray for food or other commodities.

In other respects this form of the invention is similar to that previously shown and like reference numerals identify like parts in each of the plate vertically slidably mounted upon th base portion-of said central member for moving up and between the edges of said tray end members when the latter are extended, and resilient means for urging said tray extension plate into its raised position, and means on said vertical side walls for limiting upward movement of said tray extension plate to a position in which the top face of said tray extension plate will be flush with the top faces of said tray end members.

2. A tray comprising a central member having a base wall and a pair of side walls extending upwards of said base wall, tray end members slidably mounted above said base wall and between said side walls, means for limiting sliding of said tray end members to extend from the ends of said central member, a tray extension plate vertically slidably mounted upon the base portion of said central member for moving up and between the edges of said tray end members when the latter are extended, and resilient means for urging said tray extension plate into its raised position, and means on said vertical side walls for limiting upward movement of said tray extension plate to a position in which the top face of said tray extension plate will be flush with the top faces of said tray end members, said means comprising shoulders formed on said vertical side walls and which are adapted to be abutted by the top face of said tray extension plate in its raised position.

3. A tray comprising a central member having a base wall and a pair of side walls extending upwards of said base wall, tray end members slidably mounted above said base wall and between said side Walls, means for limiting sliding of said tray end members to extend from the ends of said central member, a tray extension plate beneath each of said tray end members and each being vertically slidably mounted upon the base portion ofv said central member for moving up and between the edges of said tray end members when either or both of the latter are extended, and resilient means for urging said tray extension plates individually into their raised positions, handles pivotally mounted upon the outer ends of said tray end members, and rods extending from said handles and passing through eye members mounted on the bottoms of said tray extension plates for urging theplates downwards when the tops of the handles are pivoted inwards.

LORRAINE FARKAS, 

